[August 14, 2009]The Patel family, in conjunction
with Best Western hotels, has made progress in leaps and bounds to
turn the old Lincoln Country Inn on the city's south side into
something this community can be proud of. And Thursday morning they
showed their completed effort to the entire community following a
ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber
of Commerce.

Officials had high praise for the completed work. Tom Osborn,
regional director of Best Western International, spoke about
visiting the Patels at the motel before its remodeling. "The first
time I actually met Paresh, I came in, looked around and said, "Oh!"
(in a disbelieving tone). But now it is really amazing. Lincoln can
be very proud of the hard work this family has done. They won't let
you down. And I want to thank Paresh and his family."

Paresh
Patel, his wife, Bhumika, and 3-year-old daughter Diya moved to
Lincoln from Houston, Texas, when they purchased the motel.

Since that time, the Patels, including extended family members,
have worked hard to give the facility a complete makeover.

The stylish exterior has been refurbished, sports fresh paint,
new accents, and the landscaping has been groomed, with new
plantings all around the building.

But it is the interior that is a 180-degree turn from what it
used to be. The lobby is cozy and inviting with a working fireplace
and comfortable seating. Every area throughout the building has
clean design and updated lighting that beautifully complements the
coordinated decor.

There is a very nicely designed breakfast nook for patrons, and
the rooms have all been completely redone with new bathroom
fixtures, paint, floor coverings, draperies and furnishings. Some of
the rooms even offer such amenities as whirlpool tubs with ambient
lighting.

Joel Smiley, executive director of the Lincoln & Logan County
Development Partnership, was on hand at the ribbon-cutting and said
that having this motel redone and its joining with Best Western is a
positive step in further developing the south part of town. Its
presence will have a positive economic impact on the area.

Andi Hake of the chamber of commerce and other community
representatives such as Bob Albert of the chamber, Jan Schumacher of
the Logan County Board and Mayor Keith Snyder, spoke during the
ceremony, each congratulating the Patel family for their
accomplishments and thanking them for turning what was becoming an
area eyesore into a beautiful addition to the community.

Geoff Ladd of the Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau said that the
motel is a Route 66 motel, and that having it restored would give a
great boost to tourism.

Phil Mahler, Logan County Regional Planning Commission director,
said that a couple of the brand-new Route 66 Bike Route signs had
just arrived and that one was slated to be by the motel. He thought
that many bicyclists would enjoy it if they scheduled their
overnight stay there.

In addition to all this, it was announced that the World's
Largest Covered Wagon would be moved to the front lawn of the Best
Western (see related story in Lincoln Daily News). Speaking in
regard to the move, Ladd said, "This is something we have wanted to
do, but with the motel in its former state, it just wasn't right.
Now it is."

After touring some of the various styles of rooms, including a
honeymoon suite, seeing the facility and experiencing the
genuineness of the Patel family in providing an enjoyable
atmosphere, visitors' comments were much alike. Some thought that
people traveling the historic Route 66 would enjoy a stay there.
Others were commenting how great it would be for families and
friends who need a place to stay in town while visiting loved ones
here. The community has a number of long-term care facilities, and
there are a couple of residential colleges in Lincoln that draw
visitors for overnight and longer stays. It is closer to town than
out on the highway and the atmosphere is friendly. Jan Schmacher, an
employee of Christian Homes just across the street, said she would
definitely recommend it to visiting families.

Best Western was founded in 1946 by M.K. Guertin. By 1951 it was
named the largest hotel-motel chain in the industry, has continued
regular growth since that time and is now the world's largest chain,
with 4,000 hotels and motels worldwide.

Osborn said that by joining with Best Western, the Patels have
become a part of a huge family with many supporting partners. He
said that through the branding, a massive corporate advertising and
marketing program, and convenience in finding motels and making
reservations through the corporate Web site and the 800 number, the
Patels have a terrific support system that will help them to succeed
in the Lincoln area.

The Lincoln Best Western is already on the corporate Web site,
which gives details of the motel, photos of the interior and a list
of tourism and shopping sites close by.